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You Won’t Believe What Happens @ NEXT

Just recently we took a moment to pause and reflect on what has transpired for us this year. Putting everyone’s responses together, we have been stunned.

Here’s what students had to say:

NEXT has been life-changing because it has restored a strong relationship that had been lost between God and me. It helped me understand God in a much bigger way compared to how I understood Him before. What I love about NEXT is the support I get from my teachers and the coaching process and support that they give to me to help me grow. They gave me the freedom to be able to ask all kinds of questions without fear of being judged for asking them. [EC, 2016]

Before NEXT, I was afraid of theology. I thought it would destroy my faith and overcomplicate it. I never read my Bible- I felt too out of my depth and I was frustrated with Church. But now my perspectives have been broadened. I knew there was a better way to live but had no idea how to get there. [RE, 2016]

For me, NEXT has been about finding; myself, my connection with God and how others find and form their faith. I discovered that you won’t always find what you want, you will have to ask lots of questions and sometimes the answers you discover contradict what you once believed! But it makes your faith that much stronger and makes you prepared for the questions others have of your faith. [CW, 2016]

At NEXT I got to experience and develop friendships that last for a lifetime. It is a place where I could relate and be accepted and affirmed for being me and for being who God made me to be. [RG, 2016]NEXT gave me my first glimpse of true faith in Jesus. [SC, 2016]

NEXT gave me my first glimpse of true faith in Jesus. [SC, 2016]

At NEXT I have grown so much because I was encouraged to explore, all within a community that has cared for me. It has been such a positive learning environment, which was not about learning what to think but rather how to think. [BC, 2016]

Big things happen at NEXT because we focus on the big questions of life.

During NEXT I discovered my own strength, not a strength I had faked over the years but a real strength and independence. [KM, 2016]Before my year at NEXT I didn’t have people I could really speak to with this level of intentionality about anything. And especially about my faith. To be able to talk about and question God so openly is so amazing,

Before my year at NEXT I didn’t have people I could really speak to with this level of intentionality about anything. And especially about my faith. To be able to talk about and question God so openly is so amazing, I have learned so much I never want to leave behind or forget. [KM, 2016]

NEXT gave me more confidence in my faith and the ability to use the bible and understand it instead of just reading it. [CW, 2016]

Through NEXT I have learned to wrestle with the deeper questions about life, God and myself. There hasn’t been a day gone by where I didn’t come away from class without my mind blown! [JP, 2016]

NEXT has given me hope and excitement for the future. [RE, 2016]

I have really loved this contagious joy and love that comes out of NEXT. You can either fight it or just go with it. At NEXT I experienced a group of people who are willing to ask tough questions, to be stretched and changed. [SR, 2016]

My view on the bible has been vastly changed! Before NEXT I felt very resistant to the Bible. I thought it had absolutely no relevance to me and held too much in contradiction to make any rational sense. Now, I want to know more. I want to spend time drawing things out from it and letting unsettling things sit with me. I am still scared, skeptical and frustrated at things I read but my perspective and attitude have changed. [SC, 2016]

I have been equipped with amazing tools that I can carry with me for the rest of my life. How to read the Bible, compare theological frameworks, practice spiritual disciplines and the engage in the sacraments. The Bible, Christianity and faith are far richer than I knew. And there is far more to immerse myself in than I thought. [RE, 2016]

Before NEXT I never attempted to read my Bible, but now I have found passion and new life in the Word. I discovered my identity is in who I am and who God says I am, not by what I do or who other people say I am. NEXT gave me space and opportunity to sort out my life, what I believe & who I want alongside me to do life with. [SR, 2016]

NEXT gave me a safe and loving community to surround me and uplift me. They gave me their time and supported me and my well-being. [RG, 2016]

NEXT is a journey that is helping my faith grow stronger every day of my life [EC, 2016]

At NEXT I have experienced a revival of all things ‘spiritual’ and ‘faith’ that I thought I was losing. I have really loved the community, the method and the space that this course provides. [ST, 2016]

My life has been so enriched by the spiritual practices I learned at NEXT. They have helped me with anxiety and I finally have some power over my negative compulsive patterns- rather than being victim to them. [RE, 2016]

Because of NEXT I pray regularly! It may seem simple, but I had lost that practice – but it’s stronger now. [CW, 2016]

What are you looking for in 2017?

Because we focus on the big questions of life, big things happen at NEXT.

Faith, identity, friendship are what we talk about, explore and discover – all wrapped up in accredited Diploma study with Fee-Help available.